Dressing up for a job interview is crucial, but for some it may not be enough.
Recent court cases have shown physical appearance can be an important factor in hiring decisions.
While some decry this practice as unethical, others believe that these private companies are merely doing what it takes to sell their product.
It may not be fair, but social and physical perceptions clearly have an influence in the workplace: in a study on the effect of physical appearance on a worker's salary, economists Daniel S. Hamermesh of the University of Texas-Austin and Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University concluded that physical appearance is correlated with five to ten percent changes in salaray.
The findings apply to all occupations, and are controlled for variables such as experience and education.
The study found, surprisingly, that looks were more important for men than women. Young obese women are paid an average of 17 percent less than women within limits of recommended Body Mass Index. The researchers found, taller men were paid more than their shorter counterparts.
"People will make judgments before you even speak based on the way you look," said sophomore Jonathan Adler, who worked at CNN this past year. "Most definitely your physical appearance matters. The way you dress, your hygiene - it all matters."
It did for 18-year L'Oreal employee Elysa Yanowitz, who the California Supreme Court ruled last month has the right to sue her employer for directing her to fire an employee who wasn't "sexually attractive" enough.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Yanowitz's boss told her to fire a competent saleswoman on the grounds that the saleswoman was "not good-looking enough." Yanowitz said her employer pointed to a youthful and appealing blonde female and said, "God damn it, get me one that looks like that."
A similar situation prompted a 2003 lawsuit against retailers Abercrombie & Fitch. The lawsuit was brought on by two minority workers who claimed they did not quite fit the image of jocks and blondes that the company so often uses in its advertising.
According to a Web site - AFjustice.com - which was created by the plaintiff's counsel, plaintiff Eduardo Gonzalez claimed he was told he could only work in the stockroom or on a late-night shift if he were to be hired.
Plaintiff Jennifer Lu had similar complaints against the company's hiring practices: she claimed she was fired after three years with the company when Abercrombie representatives inspected the store and said, "You need to have more staff that looks like this," while pointing to a poster display of a Caucasian male.
The class action suit brought against Abercrombie & Fitch was eventually settled for $40 million in Nov. 2004. The terms of the settlement state that that the company agrees to recruit a more diverse workforce, including black, Latino and Asian employees.
Bartender Darlene Jespersen sued Harrah's casino after her bosses fired her because she refused to wear makeup to work. (Prior to her firing, she had worked at Harrah's for 20 years.)
The court ruled in Jespersen's favor - though Harrah's has since appealed - and rethought its policy. Wearing makeup is no longer a job requirement.
Though cases like these are drawing attention to issues of appearance and job hiring, employment lawyer Bill O'Brien said, "Employers are free to be unfair." O'Brien told USA Today that "other than some protected classes, there isn't a great deal employees can do about it. We saw it first on the playground, when the popular people who were the leaders chose other people like them as friends."
When asked about Career Services' views on the role of physical appearance in the job market, Jean Papalia, Director of Career Services at Tufts, pointed to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission as well as to the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination [MCAD]. She said these Web sites provide concrete anti-discrimination
regulations.
The MCAD's Web site defines discrimination as "unfair treatment because of an individual's membership in a particular group."
The Web site lists a lack of diversity, hate crimes, and racial and religious prejudice as types of discrimination, but makes no mention of physical appearance and its affect on a firm's hiring process.
Junior Harish Perkari worked in an Abercrombie & Fitch retail store in 2004. He acknowledged that there is a "lack of diversity in the catalogue" compared to "every other suburban mall brand."
Still, some students do not see these practices as a problem. According to Adler, corporations often "hire people who it believes will sell [its] product best."
Sophomore Gopi Desai, who is of Indian descent, said the issues raised by the lawsuit have not prevented her from shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch.
"It was never a big topic of conversation anyway," said Desai, adding she has never felt unfairly discriminated in a workplace.
